. >> i strongly disagree with the obama administration's decision to rule out enemy combatant status for this suspect at this time. i believe such a decision is premature. >> joining us now is ari melber, my colleague and co-host of "the cycle," also a lawyer. ari, at least twice mr. graham said the administration's decision to reject enemy combatant status was, quoting him, premature. do you agree with that? >> i don't. it's weird for senator graham to say it. what is premature is try to assert there would be a direct or substantial link between the suspect and al qaeda. that is the legal requirement to take an american away from the civilian courts and treat them as an enemy combatant. i believe senator graham who has a long history on detention issues and was a lawyer, himself, i think he knows that. because he knows that, he knows he is premature to suggest this when no reliable source and nobody in the government -- >> certainly not yet. >> -- has met that standard. >> let's listen to what senator graham said was his reason for using the enemy combatant tact. take a listen. >> i